Ravens QB Lamar Jackson (knee) didn't practice on Thursday. As ESPN's Adam Schefter pointed out on Twitter, it's now officially been over one month since the former MVP practiced for played in an NFL game. It's safe to say Jackson's fantasy season is over. Expect QB Tyler Huntley to be under center in Week 18 vs. the Bengals. The Ravens still have a playoff run ahead of them, so perhaps we'll see Jackson under center at some point soon. This'll be a fascinating storyline to track as Jackson potentially heads toward free agency this offseason.
Bills TE Dawson Knox (hip) practiced in a limited fashion on Thursday ahead of Week 18 vs. the Patriots. We'll have a better picture of his health on Friday. Be sure to check back tomorrow for updates.
Bills QB Josh Allen (ankle, elbow) was downgraded to a limited practice on Thursday after logging full participation the day before. There's no need for alarm at this time as it relates to his availability for Week 18 vs. the Patriots. Allen has been beaten up all season and has yet to miss a game. We'll keep an eye on him in case anything changes on this front.
Patriots WR Jakobi Meyers (shoulder) practiced in a limited capacity again on Thursday. It's also worth noting that WR DeVante Parker (concussion) has now practiced limited on back-to-back days. This is certainly encouraging for Parker as he's been sidelined since Week 14. Friday's injury report will give us official designations for the pair of pass-catchers ahead of Week 18 vs. the Bills. Check back tomorrow for further analysis.
Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence (toe) logged limited practice again on Thursday and is listed as questionable for Week 18 vs. the Titans. The second-year QB has yet to miss a game due to this lingering issue. We feel good about his ability to suit up for Saturday's contest. The winner of this game secures the AFC South crown, so the stakes are high enough that all the starters will play significant snaps. The Titans rank as the 5th-best matchup in adjusted fantasy points allowed to QBs this season. Additionally, Lawrence tossed nearly 400 yards and 3 TDs against the Titans back in Week 14. We know he's capable of lighting up the scoreboard in this spot. Fantasy managers should feel great running Lawrence out there as a high-end QB1 in lineups.
Titans WR Treylon Burks (groin) did not practice on Thursday and carries a questionable injury designation ahead of Week 18 vs. the Jaguars. With QB Joshua Dobbs under center last week, the rookie wideout tallied 4 receptions on 8 targets for 66 yards. Not bad production, all things considered. The Jaguars' defense also ranks as the 10th-best matchup for WRs in adjusted fantasy points allowed this season. That said, it's tough to trust Burks too much in a matchup where the Titans are likely to lean heavily on RB Derrick Henry. Burks is a WR4/deep league flex consideration in Week 18.
Chiefs WR Skyy Moore (hand) did not practice on Thursday and has been ruled out for Week 18 vs. the Raiders. Fellow WR Mecole Hardman (pelvis) logged back-to-back days of limited practice and carries a questionable designation for the contest. Fantasy managers would be wise to keep an eye on the status of Hardman as it relates to WR Kadarius Toney. The Raiders are the 12th-best matchup for opposing WRs in adjusted fantasy points allowed this season. This contest would be a potentially strong spot for Toney as a deep flex consideration/DFS play. Be sure to keep an eye on this one before kickoff on Saturday.
According to Michael Phillips of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Commanders HC Ron Rivera said this week that he'll play WRs Terry McLaurin and Curtis Samuel for "at least a portion of the game" Sunday. The notion here is that the coach will give rookie QB Sam Howell some time to work with the team's top options in his NFL debut. Of course, the fantasy read is that Rivera likely doesn't plan to play McLaurin or Samuel the entire game. That could change if Howell delivers and the team stays tight with the Cowboys. But the uncertainty -- including that brought by a 5th-round rookie QB in his 1st pro action -- should make you wary of starting McLaurin in Week 18 fantasy football lineups. We'll keep updating our Week 18 fantasy football rankings for anything else we learn on this and other situations.
The Commanders have elevated RB Jaret Patterson from the practice squad, ahead of Sunday's finale against the Cowboys. It's not a surprising move, given that RB Antonio Gibson will be out once again. He landed on IR Thursday after missing last week with knee and foot injuries. RB Brian Robinson Jr. (knee) joined Gibson in missing Wednesday's practice. Don't be surprised if Robinson sits out the finale as well. Michael Phillips of the Richmond Times-Dispatch says Patterson "seems likely to get a large share of work on Sunday." Washington also has RB Jonathan Williams on the active roster. Beware of using any Commanders offensive players in your Week 18 lineup.
Commanders RB Antonio Gibson (knee, foot) has been placed on IR, knocking him out for Sunday's finale vs. the Cowboys. Gibson had a few solid fantasy outings this season but was generally disappointing, finishing with 546 rushing yards and 3 TDs on 3.7 yards per carry and a 46-353-2 receiving line. He sits 30th among RBs in PPR points per game. Gibson turns 25 in June and is signed with Washington for 1 more season. He looks like no better than a RB3 in early 2023 fantasy drafts.
49ers RB Christian McCaffrey (knee, ankle) did not practice on Wednesday. HC Kyle Shanahan labeled him "day to day" earlier this week. With San Francisco still having a shot at the NFC's #1 seed, we're expecting McCaffrey to play vs. the Cardinals this weekend. We'll get another update on his status on Thursday afternoon.
Packers RB Aaron Jones (knee, ankle) logged limited participation on Wednesday. Jones has been dealing with injury for weeks but has yet to miss a game this season. We'll watch out for any updates regarding his status for Week 18 vs. the Lions as the week unfolds.
Packers WR Christian Watson (hip) only managed to practice in a limited capacity on Wednesday. The rookie managed to suit up last week despite this ailment, but we'll keep an eye on his status just in case. Check back for updates on Watson ahead of Week 18 vs. the Lions.
49ers WR Deebo Samuel (ankle, knee) practiced fully on Wednesday. It's looking good for Samuel to make his return to NFL action since getting hurt in Week 14 vs. the Buccaneers. We'll continue to monitor the veteran's status in advance of Week 18 vs. the Cardinals.
Cardinals RB James Conner (knee, shin) didn't practice on Wednesday. We'll be sure to track the status of Conner in anticipation of Week 18 vs. the 49ers on Sunday.
Seahawks WR Tyler Lockett (shin) didn't participate in practice on Wednesday. TE Noah Fant (knee) was also absent from practice. There's still a lot of time for this duo of pass-catchers to ramp up activity ahead of Week 18 vs. the Rams. Be sure to check back tomorrow for more information.
Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker (ankle, illness) did not participate in Wednesday's practice. Teammate RB DeeJay Dallas (ankle) also didn't participate. We'll keep an eye on the 'Hawks duo in advance of Week 18 vs. the Rams. Hopefully tomorrow brings better news about their health.
Broncos WR Jerry Jeudy (ankle) logged limited participation at Wednesday's practice. It's too soon to tell if Jeudy is in jeopardy of missing Week 18 vs. the Chargers. Check back as we learn more about his status as the week evolves.
Chargers QB Justin Herbert (left shoulder) practiced fully on Wednesday. It seems the third-year signal-caller isn't at any risk of sitting out Week 18 vs. the Broncos. We'll be sure to track this on the off chance something changes.
Cowboys RB Tony Pollard (thigh) practiced fully on Wednesday. This is a good sign for his availability in Week 18 vs. the Commanders after missing last week's game. We'll be sure to watch out for any potential changes regarding Pollard's status.
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